Tree guards

[dincur]

Hi everyone. Has anyone here made d.i.y tree guards from sheep wire. They're to protect standard cherry trees against donkeys stripping their bark. Any experience greatly appreciated. Cheers Din

[Glutton4...]

Nope, sorry. Have made tree guards from chicken mesh, to keep Muntjacks and Wabbits from stripping the bark. It's simple, just wrap it round the trunk, and secure it to itself.

I'd guess sheep wire would be harder to do, as it's not so flexible. The tube would need to be wider too, and held away from the tree, so they couldn't push against it and chew through the holes. Good luck.

[dincur]

Thanks Glutton. Thats where i'm kinda stuck. I've three layers of it but their nimble lips and chompers will push it towards the tree and
still get thru it.

[dincur]

What is a muntjack? I'm picturing something between a musk deer with fangs and one of these giant rabbits for some reason.

[Glutton4...]

Chicken wire is expensive, but maybe worth the cost?

We have a Thatcher near us, he sells his wire mesh off-cuts at £3 a roll. An expensive way to buy it, but for little jobs it's great!

The other option is a wooden structure, like a small square fence round each tree, that they can't reach over/through, or perhaps a grazing muzzle for the Donks!

[Glutton4...]

What is a muntjack? I'm picturing something between a musk deer with fangs and one of these giant rabbits for some reason.

Small ginger/brown Deer. Introduced from China or somewhere, and rapidly colonising the UK. Sweet little things, unless you have young trees. Quite tasty too!

[dincur]

Thanks for that Glutton4. Its India, they come from India and probably the Chinese border too. Still haven't done anything with the trees. It'll probably happen the day before they move in2 that paddock. I knew someone in India that grew up with either a musk deer or one of your guys, and he (the deer) used to go around biting girls. He had 2 fangs like Dracula. They're cute without the fangs.